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Vineland moving EMS control to Fire Department

VINELAND – The city is transferring control of its Division of Emergency Medical Services to the Fire Department, a move that should be completed as soon as July.

The division presently is structured as part of the Department of Health. The service was started in rudimentary form as a police operation, then placed under Civil Defense, and finally moved under the health department.

The City Council on Tuesday started the transfer process with introduction of two ordinances laying the legal groundwork. Public hearings are scheduled for May 26 on the ordinances, followed by final votes.

On Thursday, City Solicitor Richard Tonetta said the transfer is a suggestion of fire Chief Luigi Tramontana.

.(Photo: File photo)

Tonetta said the idea came up at a time the city was looking at a sharp increase in the number of times Vineland units were being called into neighboring Millville.

“And the issue came up regarding dispatch and how the proper procedure should be,” Tonetta said.

Presently, Tonetta said, calls are routed from the county to city police and then to the EMS. Tramontana said a better system would send calls directly to his department, he said.

Tonetta said the city at some point is likely to create a joint fire and EMS organization, as other municipalities have.

“So, we just took the first step in that direction, if it happens,” he said. “It may never happen.”

Joe Smith is a Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer at The Daily Journal in Vineland. Have a news tip? Reach out at (856) 563-5252 or jsmith@thedailyjournal.com or follow me on Twitter, @jpsmith-dj. Help support local journalism with a subscription to The Daily Journal.